


Helpless

by thatsoccercoach



Series: Which Door? [46]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Healer Claire, Mama Bear Claire, migraines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 06:38:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14587155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: Claire may be a nurse but she still struggles at times when it comes to the health and well-being of her family, particularly when situations are beyond her control.





	Helpless

                                                             [](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/93/13/289313ea073cd151020126cbecffd238.jpg)

“Jamie?” she mumbled into their down comforter, refusing to move.

“Aye?”

“Is there somebody watching us?” It wouldn’t have been that unusual for there to be somebody in their room in the middle of the night. Their wee Frasers were notorious for their bedtime escapades. Thankfully, Willa and Fergus were still held captive by their cribs but Brianna and Faith both made visits at odd hours.

“Aye,” he mumbled without turning. How he could tell without actually looking was beyond her. “‘Tis Faith.”

She pulled herself from between the blankets and propped herself on an elbow to see her daughter better. There she stood, feet bare, nightgown hanging from her skinny frame, dark circles that could be seen even in the dim light of the bedroom. Then Claire heard the words that she’d begun to dread hearing from her daughter.

“My head hurts, Mama,” she whispered as if merely speaking of the words hurt.

Faith always been one to get headaches but in the past six months their frequency and intensity had increased alarmingly. She’d been diagnosed with migraines. Nothing Claire did changed that. She tried working with their pediatrician to find a helpful medication to no avail. Nothing Claire _didn’t_ do changed it either. She cut certain foods out of Faith’s diet and certain fragrances out of their lives as well. She was helpless to do anything except watch her daughter suffer and offer the most meager of comforts.

“Mama has you, lovey,” she crooned and she scooped Faith into her arms and gently placed her on the side of the bed she’d just left. Delicately, as if Faith were as fragile as a flower from their garden, she covered the small girl with her blankets. Jamie stayed still, ready to help if needed, ready to offer comfort and reassurance. Then Claire set about what had become her routine to deal with the situation.

She padded to the bathroom for the new meds they were trying, praying that they’d help this time. A cool cloth. Most likely Faith wouldn’t want it touching her right now, but she might later on. A glass of water. If she became dehydrated things would only get worse. As she returned to their bedroom she could hear Jamie’s voice, low and soothing as Faith gagged and retched, knowing her husband held the small basin and their daughter.

“The blankets hurt me too, Mama,” she gasped between her gagging. “I want you to hold me but I don’t want you to touch me,” she shuddered and a tear trickled down her cheek.

A tear trickled down Claire’s own cheek and she met her husband’s reassuring gaze. To be a nurse and be unable to help your own children was one of the most terrifying and frustrating things she’d ever experienced.

They got Faith settled enough to take some meds and drink a bit of water then she settled in to watch and wait.

* * *

Morning dawned as it always did. Faith slumbered peacefully at last and Claire stood sentinel over her. Claire’s own head was beginning to ache but thankfully, she could tell it wasn’t a migraine. She had those often enough herself and she wasn’t prepared to deal with one in her emotionally and physically exhausted state.

The three youngest Frasers were awake and were with Jamie in the kitchen. She cold hear Jamie and Bree chatting together, Willa and Fergus joining in with their own meaningless babble. For not the first, or last, time she thanked the heavens for her devoted husband. He would feed the younger children and be certain to prepare them for the day ahead while she stayed by Faith’s side. Though she was sleeping now, Jamie knew well that Claire wouldn’t leave their eldest unattended until she was awake and feeling better once more.

Claire could tell when breakfast finished because dishes clattered in the sink and the water began to run. She could hear Brianna scurrying to find her backpack, jacket, and shoes. The smiling face of her second daughter appeared in the doorway only moments later. She’d been instructed, and reprimanded, multiple times during prior migraines so she knew to be silent now. That didn’t stop her from blowing a noiseless kiss to Claire then dramatically pointing, first to her eye, then to her heart, then to her mama. Claire smiled and responded in kind and Bree tiptoed away for school.

That gave her an idea for their oldest daughter though. She called Faith’s school and asked if her teacher was available to speak. Then, with the situation at last resolved, she fervently hoped, she curled up near Faith on Jamie’s still-warm side of the bed and fell asleep at last.

* * *

They’d gone nearly an entire month before another migraine hit her and that one was nipped fairly early on and didn’t plague her for so long at all. Once more all the Frasers were in bed.

“Do ye ken yer a genius, Sassenach?” he whispered to her in the darkness.

“A genius, hmm?” she laughed softly then paused. “I honestly feel as if I should have realized sooner that she wasn’t eating her lunch at school. It’s always been something that triggered my migraines but it never crossed my mind for her.”

“I ken ye wish you’d have figured it sooner, but yer care for our lass is more than enough, Claire. Dinna doubt yerself.” He settled nearer to her, his presence a reassurance.

“Mmm, I believe we have another guest, Jamie,” she raised herself up to see who their nocturnal guest was this time.

“It’s _me_ , Mama!” Bree giggled, sounding not the least bit tired. “I just wanted you and Da to know I love you. Faith says she loves you too.”

“Lass, are ye keepin’ yer sister awake?” Jamie scolded gently.

“ _Da_ ,” she groaned as if he were completely ridiculous instead of completely logical for pointing out that she was talking with her sister in the middle of the night. “We’ve been _busy_ lately. Faith and I need to catch up.” She pounced on his side of the bed to give him a kiss then scuttled over to Claire’s side as well before dropping off the end of the bed and scampering back to the doorway. “Goodnight!”

As she padded off down the hallway they could hear her continue to talk, to them or herself they couldn’t tell.

“Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also, if a kiddo you love has migraines, here’s just one place to start: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/understanding-migraine/migraine-in-children/


End file.
